For years I've been making sparkleballs, but this year, thanks to a new friend and a new husband, here's a new way to make these light balls without melting plastic. Thank you, Erika for the hole-punch idea. Thank you, Steve for the zip-tie idea.

http://www.sparkleball.com/imagesii/drill.jpgDrill a hole 1/4-1/2" in the bottom of all 50 cups. You can stack several and drill them at once. The hole must be big enough to slide 1-3 lights through (depending on how many lights in your strand). Drill one cup and check that lights will fit through. You want them to insert snugly. If the hole cracks a little when you push the lights through, that's ok.OPTIONAL: For a very pretty effect, dip cup rims in glue, then glitter. Let dry.

http://www.sparkleball.com/imagesii/layer1.jpgArrange 12 cups in a circle. Attach each cup to the one next to it using a zip-tie through the touching holes. DO NOT TIGHTEN the zip-ties until all cups are attached. Then tighten zip-ties one by one, making sure the circle of cups stays flat. Trim zip-ties.

http://www.sparkleball.com/imagesii/layer2.jpgPlace 9 cups, one by one, on top of and around of the circle. Attach each cup to the one it sits on top of. When all 9 cups are in place, then attach each one to the cup next to it. (These cups will attach at 3 holes.) Finally, tighten all zip-ties and trim.

STEP 5

http://www.sparkleball.com/imagesii/layer3.jpgPlace 4 cups into the space left in the sparkleball-half you're building. When they fit neatly, attach them to each other. These cups will attach at all four holes to other cups. If holes don't quite meet, punch new ones. When all cups are attached, tighten zip-ties and trim.

To insert lights: start at the prong end of the cord. Insert the two lights closest to the prong into a cup at the outside rim. (The plug will then hang out when you put the two halves together.) Depending on how many lights you're using, insert 1-3 lights in each cup--using half the strand of lights on this half.

Work slowly. It's important NOT to skip a cup or miss a light. If you crack a cup, that's ok. This is the hardest part, but you're half done!

http://www.sparkleball.com/images/hanger.jpgTo make a hanger for your sparkleball, decide where the top is. Do you want the cord out the top? Or the bottom? I make my hanger out of 2 "s" hooks and a bit of chain, but you can use fishing line, zip-ties, wire coathangers, or ribbon.

I didn't want to have to go buy zip ties, but also didn't want to have to spend the time cutting all that wire. But you can usually find cheap ornament hangers at dollar stores in packs of 1-200. The wire isn't super pretty, but they're also in very managable lengths.